Pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit, pressure-sensitive adhesive label issuing device, and printer

Abstract

A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit including: a thermal head being configured to heat a pressure-sensitive adhesive label, which is conveyed along a conveyance direction, from the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer side to form holes in the non-pressure-sensitive-adhesive function layer; a control part controlling the thermal head; and a discharge mechanism including a first discharge member and a second discharge member, wherein the control part applies the thermal head so as to form the holes and to form a pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region in which the non-pressure-sensitive-adhesive function layer extends continuously from a downstream end of the label along the conveyance direction, and the second discharge member includes a discharge roller configured to sandwich the label with the first discharge member via the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region and to run relatively on the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region along with the conveyance of the label.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit configured to heat a pressure-sensitive adhesive label to exhibit pressure-sensitive adhesive strength thereof, the pressure-sensitive adhesive label including a printable layer and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, the printable layer being provided on one surface of a base, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer being provided on another surface of the base and covered by a non-pressure-sensitive-adhesive function layer, the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit including:
 a thermal head including a plurality of heat generating elements arranged along a width direction of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label, the thermal head being configured to heat the pressure-sensitive adhesive label, which is conveyed along a conveyance direction, from the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer side to form holes in the non-pressure-sensitive-adhesive function layer by the plurality of heat generating elements, to thereby expose the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer;   a control part for applying heat energy independently to the plurality of heat generating elements to control heat generation of the plurality of heat generating elements; and   a discharge mechanism placed on a downstream side of the thermal head in the conveyance direction, the discharge mechanism including a first discharge member placed on the printable layer side and a second discharge member placed on the non-pressure-sensitive-adhesive function layer side, the discharge mechanism being configured to convey the pressure-sensitive adhesive label to a discharge position located on the downstream side of the discharge mechanism while sandwiching the pressure-sensitive adhesive label between the first discharge member and the second discharge member,   wherein the control part applies the heat energy to the plurality of heat generating elements so as to form the holes and to form a pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region in which the non-pressure-sensitive-adhesive function layer extends continuously from a downstream end of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label along the conveyance direction, and   the second discharge member includes a discharge roller configured to sandwich the pressure-sensitive adhesive label with the first discharge member via the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region and to run relatively on the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region along with the conveyance of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label.   
     
     
         2 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control part is configured to apply the heat energy to the plurality of heat generating elements so that a plurality of the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting regions is formed with intervals in the width direction of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label, and   the discharge roller is provided in number corresponding to a number of the plurality of the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting regions to be formed.   
     
     
         3 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control part is configured to apply the heat energy to the plurality of heat generating elements so that the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region is formed on the inner side away from lateral both end portions of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label by a predetermined distance or more.   
     
     
         4 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the discharge roller includes:
 a disc-like roller main body; and 
 an annular elastic ring that is mounted on an outer peripheral surface of the disc-like roller main body and is larger in diameter than the disc-like roller main body. 
   
     
     
         5 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 1 , wherein
 an outer peripheral surface of the discharge roller is an uneven surface on which irregularities are repeated in a circumferential direction over an entire circumference thereof.   
     
     
         6 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit further includes   a coupling member for coupling the thermal head and the second discharge member to each other in a state in which the second discharge member is positioned relative to the thermal head along the width direction of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label.   
     
     
         7 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 1 , further include:
 a read sensor for reading a surface state of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label; and   a display unit including a plurality of LEDs arranged along the width direction of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label,   wherein the read sensor and the display unit are placed between the thermal head and the second discharge member,   the control part is configured to switch between a pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting mode for causing the pressure-sensitive adhesive label to exhibit pressure-sensitive adhesive strength and a position adjustment mode for adjusting a position of the discharge roller, that the control part is configured to apply, when entering the position adjustment mode, heat energy to a heat generating element that has not been applied with heat energy in order to form the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region among the plurality of heat generating elements,   the read sensor is configured to read the surface state of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label when entering the position adjustment mode, and to identify a position of the heat generating element applied with the heat energy based on a change in the read surface state and output the identified position to the control part, and   the control part is configured to operate the display unit so that, among the plurality of LEDs, an LED that is placed at the same position in the width direction of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label as the position of the heat generating element identified by the read sensor is turned on.   
     
     
         8 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 1 , further include:
 a detection part for detecting sagging of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label, the detection part being placed on the downstream side of the discharge mechanism in the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         9 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control part is configured to switch between a pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting mode for exhibiting pressure-sensitive adhesive strength and a position adjustment mode for adjusting the position of the discharge roller, and that the control part be configured to apply, when entering the position adjustment mode, heat energy to the plurality of heat generating elements so that the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region is formed in a state in which a lateral width of the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region is reduced in a stepwise manner from the downstream end of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label.   
     
     
         10 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control part is configured to apply heat energy to the plurality of heat generating elements so that the lateral width of the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region is changed in a stepwise manner in association with a length from the downstream end of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label along the conveyance direction, and to calculate, when the detection part detects the sagging, the lateral width of the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region at a time of the detection based on a length of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label from the downstream end of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label to a detected position.   
     
     
         11 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive label issuing device including:
 the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 1 ; and   a cutter unit for cutting the pressure-sensitive adhesive label to a desired length.   
     
     
         12 . A printer includes:
 the pressure-sensitive adhesive label issuing device according to  claim 1 ; and   a printing unit for printing on the printable layer, the printing unit being placed on an upstream side of the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit in the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         13 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the control part is configured to apply the heat energy to the plurality of heat generating elements so that the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region is formed on the inner side away from lateral both end portions of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label by a predetermined distance or more.   
     
     
         14 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the discharge roller includes:
 a disc-like roller main body; and 
 an annular elastic ring that is mounted on an outer peripheral surface of the disc-like roller main body and is larger in diameter than the disc-like roller main body. 
   
     
     
         15 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 13 , wherein
 an outer peripheral surface of the discharge roller is an uneven surface on which irregularities are repeated in a circumferential direction over an entire circumference thereof.   
     
     
         16 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit further includes   a coupling member for coupling the thermal head and the second discharge member to each other in a state in which the second discharge member is positioned relative to the thermal head along the width direction of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label.   
     
     
         17 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 16 , further include:
 a read sensor for reading a surface state of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label; and   a display unit including a plurality of LEDs arranged along the width direction of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label,   wherein the read sensor and the display unit are placed between the thermal head and the second discharge member,   the control part is configured to switch between a pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting mode for causing the pressure-sensitive adhesive label to exhibit pressure-sensitive adhesive strength and a position adjustment mode for adjusting a position of the discharge roller, that the control part is configured to apply, when entering the position adjustment mode, heat energy to a heat generating element that has not been applied with heat energy in order to form the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region among the plurality of heat generating elements,   the read sensor is configured to read the surface state of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label when entering the position adjustment mode, and to identify a position of the heat generating element applied with the heat energy based on a change in the read surface state and output the identified position to the control part, and   the control part is configured to operate the display unit so that, among the plurality of LEDs, an LED that is placed at the same position in the width direction of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label as the position of the heat generating element identified by the read sensor is turned on.   
     
     
         18 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 16 , further include:
 a detection part for detecting sagging of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label, the detection part being placed on the downstream side of the discharge mechanism in the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         19 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 18 ,
 wherein the control part is configured to switch between a pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting mode for exhibiting pressure-sensitive adhesive strength and a position adjustment mode for adjusting the position of the discharge roller, and that the control part be configured to apply, when entering the position adjustment mode, heat energy to the plurality of heat generating elements so that the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region is formed in a state in which a lateral width of the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region is reduced in a stepwise manner from the downstream end of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label.   
     
     
         20 . A pressure-sensitive adhesive strength exhibiting unit according to  claim 19 ,
 wherein the control part is configured to apply heat energy to the plurality of heat generating elements so that the lateral width of the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region is changed in a stepwise manner in association with a length from the downstream end of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label along the conveyance direction, and to calculate, when the detection part detects the sagging, the lateral width of the pressure-sensitive adhesive strength non-exhibiting region at a time of the detection based on a length of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label from the downstream end of the pressure-sensitive adhesive label to a detected position.